Daniil Medvedev reached the ATP Beijing quarter-finals with a fighting 7-6(3), 6-3 defeat on Saturday of Alex di Minaur.
World No. 3 Medvedev has an outside chance of reaching the top ranking spot by the end of the season but will have to turn the table at upcoming events as he trails top-ranked Novak Djokovic and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.
Medvedev held off di Minaur – winner this week over Andy Murray – after the Aussie recovered form 5-2 down in the opening set, with the European second seed winning it in a tiebreaker
The pair are familiar foes, after facing off in recent months in Toronto, the US Open and here.
“Tough, tough like always,” Medvedev said of victory in two hours. “When he’s down, he starts to play better. That’s what happened today.
“(in the) first set, he was playing better because he was down. Second set I managed to play just unbelievable.”
The winner added: “It’s crazy how every time he is down in a match, he’s going to start playing like he is No. 1 in the world.
“It was a tough victory, I’m happy with my level.”
The seed converted on a third of his nine break chances to run his record in the series to 6-2.
Medvedev will be playing a quarter-final for the 13th time in 18 ATP events this season.
